Remarkably caring and thoughtful actor
The late Disney star Cameron Boyce used his stardom to better the lives of the less fortunate.
CAMERON Boyce, the actor known for starring in the Disney Channel series Jessie and the Descendants TV movies, has died. He was 20.
Boyce died on July 6 due to an “ongoing medical condition”, his family said.
“It is with a profoundly heavy heart that we report that this morning we lost Cameron,” his family said in a statement.
“He passed away in his sleep due to a seizure which was a result of an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated. The world is now undoubtedly without one of its brightest lights, but his spirit will live on through the kindness and compassion of all who knew and loved him. We are utterly heartbroken and ask for privacy during this immensely difficult time as we grieve the loss of our precious son and brother.”
Adam Sandler, who played Boyce’s father in the movie Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2, paid tribute on social media.
“Too young. Too sweet. Too funny. Just the nicest, most talented, and and most decent kid around,” Sandler wrote on Twitter.
“Loved that kid. Cared so much about his family. Cared so much about the world. Thank you, Cameron, for all you gave to us. So much more was on the way.
“All our hearts are broken. Thinking of your amazing family and sending our deepest condolences.”
Disney Channel’s PR offered condolences on Twitter, writing, “Rest in peace, you’ll always be in our hearts.”
Boyce was born on May 28, 1999 in Los Angeles. He made his acting debut at age nine in the horror movie Mirrors with Kiefer Sutherland.
After making his foray into television, Boyce went on to star in a number of Disney Channel shows. He played Luke Ross alongside Debby Ryan in the show Jessie, which ran on the network for four seasons.
He also appeared in Good Luck Charlie, Shake It Up and Gamer’s Guide To Pretty Much Everything. He later played Carlos de Vil, the son of Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians, in the Descendants TV movie series.
In film, he portrayed the son of Sandler’s character in both Grown Ups movies. His other big-screen credits include Eagle Eye, Game On and Judy Moody And The Not Bummer Summer. Boyce was expected to appear alongside Kathryn Hahn in the HBO series Mrs. Fletcher.
Descendants 3 is scheduled for release next month.
His spokesperson said Sunday that Boyce was also a philanthropist who used his celebrity to advocate for those without a voice, including the homeless.
Last year, he was honoured for his work with the Thirst Project, bringing awareness to the global water crisis and raising more than US$30,000 (RM124,000) for the organisation to build two wells in Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, in efforts to bring clean drinking water to the region.
In 2017, he received a Daytime Emmy Award with Disney XD for his participation in the series Timeless Heroes – Be Inspired ,in honour of Black History Month. He appeared alongside his grandmother Jo Ann Boyce, one of 12 black teens known as the Clinton 12 who were the first to integrate into public school in Clinton, Tennessee, according to his Disney Channel biography.
A Disney Channel spokesperson released a statement Sunday saying that from a young age, Boyce dreamed of sharing his artistic talents with the world and was fuelled by a desire to make a difference in peoples’ lives through his humanitarian work.
“He was an incredibly talented performer, a remarkably caring and thoughtful person and, above all else, he was a loving and dedicated son, brother, grandson and friend,” the statement said. “We offer our deepest condolences to his family, cast mates and colleagues and join his many millions of fans in grieving his untimely passing. He will be dearly missed.”
Walt Disney Co chairman and chief executive, Robert Iger tweeted Sunday: “The Walt Disney Company mourns the loss of #Cameronboyce, who was a friend to so many of us, and filled with so much talent, heart and life, and far too young to die. Our prayers go out to his family and his friends.” – Agencies